What You Need to Know About Microsoft’s 2026 Microsoft 365 Updates
Microsoft is rolling out important updates to Microsoft 365, Office 365, and Enterprise Mobility + Security (EMS) that will bring enhanced security, improved device management, and increased storage to organizations.
These changes begin rolling out in mid-June 2026 and are expected to be completed by early August 2026.
For many organizations, these updates will be applied automatically - so it’s important to understand what’s changing and how it may impact your environment.
What’s Changing?
Microsoft is enhancing core Microsoft 365 subscriptions by including additional security and management features that were previously separate or optional.
Stronger Built-In Security
Organizations will benefit from expanded protections through Microsoft Defender for Office 365 Plan 1, including:
Protection against advanced phishing and malware
URL “time-of-click” protection to block malicious links when users click them
Enhanced anti-phishing and Safe Attachments capabilities applied by default
These updates are designed to help organizations reduce risk from increasingly sophisticated email-based threats without requiring additional configuration.
Expanded Device Management Capabilities
Microsoft is also expanding what’s included with Microsoft Intune, adding capabilities such as:
Secure remote support for devices (Remote Help)
Advanced analytics to improve user experience
Endpoint privilege management to support least-privilege access
Enterprise application management with preconfigured deployment options
Mobile application management enhancements and specialty device support
These tools give IT teams more visibility and control over endpoints - critical for managing today’s hybrid work environments.
Increased Email Storage
M365 Business Suite licenses for the Exchange Online mailboxes will receive an additional 50GB of storage, helping organizations better manage growing email volumes without immediate need for add-ons or archiving changes.
What This Means for Your Organization
For most businesses, these changes will result in immediate improvements in security and functionality - with minimal disruption.
Here’s what to expect:
Enhanced security protections will be enabled by default for all users
IT administrators may see new alerts and insights within the Microsoft Defender portal
Intune features will become available but are not automatically configured
Users will benefit from increased protections and additional mailbox storage
It’s important to note that while security protections are automatically applied, they can still be customized or supplemented to meet your organization’s specific needs.
Compliance and Data Considerations
With these updates, Microsoft is also enhancing how security data is analyzed and used to protect your organization:
Additional telemetry, alerts, and analytics data may be generated as part of normal operations
Email content and URLs may be more extensively analyzed to detect threats
Machine learning is used to improve detection of phishing, malware, impersonation, and zero-day attacks
New insights and alert types will enhance reporting and monitoring capabilities
For organizations in regulated industries, these improvements can support stronger compliance postures and more robust audit visibility.
What Should You Do Now?
While Microsoft is handling much of this rollout automatically, there are a few recommended next steps:
Review Security Settings
Evaluate built-in protection policies in Microsoft Defender
Consider enabling stricter security presets where appropriate
Add exclusions or custom policies as needed
Validate Email & Security Workflows
Review mail flow configurations
Ensure third-party email security tools are aligned with Microsoft’s protections
Plan for Intune Adoption
Identify opportunities to leverage new device management and analytics capabilities
Review existing endpoint management policies
Microsoft 365 Pricing Updates – What to Expect
Alongside these feature enhancements, Microsoft has announced pricing updates effective July 1, 2026.
Here are some of the most common changes impacting customers:
Microsoft 365 Business Basic: $6 → $7/user/month
Microsoft 365 Business Standard: $12.50 → $14/user/month
Microsoft 365 Business Premium: No change ($22/user/month)
Enterprise plans are also seeing moderate increases, typically ranging from 5% to 13% depending on the tier.
It’s important to note that:
Prices and may vary based on your agreement
Most customers will see changes at their next renewal period
How RMON Networks Can Help
These updates are a positive step forward - but they also introduce new layers of configuration, monitoring, and decision-making.
At RMON Networks, we help organizations:
Align Microsoft 365 security settings with best practices
Optimize Defender and Intune configurations
Ensure compliance with industry standards
Provide ongoing monitoring and support
Microsoft’s 2026 updates are focused on one core goal: making enterprise-grade security and management capabilities more accessible to organizations of all sizes.
With enhanced protection, improved visibility, and added capacity, these changes offer real value - but only when properly understood and configured.
If you’d like help reviewing your environment or understanding how these changes impact your organization, reach out to the RMON Networks team today. We’re here to ensure you’re fully protected and getting the most out of your Microsoft investment.